Ties of the Heart
by Pbam1236
Summary: Years have passed since Erik escaped the gypsy camp, but he left someone behind. Amirah has been a captive of the camp her entire life, but that is soon to be remedied. Erik finds her again about a year after the Opera Populaire disaster. Can they heal each other of the scars of the past? (Title subject to change. Open to suggestions)
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! So this is the story I mentioned in** ** _A Twist in Time._** **Thank you to all who encouraged me to post it. I hope you like it :)**

Chapter 1

"Get out there! We don't have all day!" the master demanded. He wasn't in a good mood.

I hurried and tried to make myself at least halfway presentable, knowing it was impossible to do being dressed in rags. The other girls had quit caring long ago, hoping that if they looked more like a prostitute than a performer that they would be bought and saved from this hellhole of a gypsy show. But, unlike them, I had some dignity and modesty left.

"What did I say?" the master shouted as he burst into the dressing tent. "Come on!"

We ran out and began our performance: a sensual, seductive gypsy dance. The master thought that these dances would make us sell quickly. They did, much to my disappointment. I would have thought that Parisian men had more class. Apparently, I was wrong.

We were at the part of the dance where I was supposed to sing. The master had just recently discovered my hidden talent of singing when he snuck up on me as I was singing while washing clothes to pass the time. He saw this as a new way to gain profit, so he made me sing.

The thing was I didn't want to sing for anyone. My singing was something I did with my dearest friend years ago. Someone who inspired me to sing.

His name was Erik.

He and I would sing to each other to scare each other's nightmares away. He was my best friend – my only friend. I had no idea what happened to him after he got away from this dreaded place, but it broke my heart when I had heard that he was gone.

When it came time for me to sing, I looked at the spectators around me. I saw faces I had seen here before and new faces to this scene. But one face stuck out to me. A face, half-covered by a hat. A face I never thought I would see again.

It was him.

I froze as our gazes met. But as soon as that happened, the master brought the whip he always carried down upon my back for not starting on time. I flinched pain, but went on.

 _"Look down, look down,_

 _Don't look him in the eye,_

 _Look down, look down,_

 _You're here until you die…"_

A few of the girls joined in with me, making the master growl with anger. This was not the song he wanted me to sing.

 _"When I get free,_

 _You won't see me,_

 _Here for dust…"_

The girl who sang that was whipped. I whirled around on the master and lunged after him. He stopped me with a bruising smack to the face. It nearly knocked me to the ground, but I stood strong.

 _"Look down, look down,_

 _You'll always be a slave,_

 _Look down, look down,_

 _You're standing in your grave…"_

We finished the performance without another incident. As we filed back into the dressing tent, the other girl who was whipped approached me.

"Thank you for what you did. Not many people would stand up to a man like him."

I was taken aback. No one had ever thanked me before besides…

 _No, I will not think of him right now. I have bigger fish to fry…_

"Um…you're welcome. You're new here, aren't you?" I asked. I couldn't remember seeing her face before.

"Yes, I am. It's that obvious, huh?" she chuckled as she held out her hand. "I'm Tessa."

I took her hand. "Amirah, but my name for him is Five. He gives us numbers for names so he can keep us straight."

"Well, he sounds like-"

"I sound like what?" interrupted a deep, growling voice.

Tessa stiffened and paled. "Nothing, sir. Absolutely nothing."

The master growled in annoyance, but let her go. "Five, come with me. You've been bought."

It was my turn to go pale. "What?"

He grabbed my wrist and yanked me after him roughly. "You heard me."

As he drug me to his personal tent, I had time to imagine how horrible my new 'owner' would be. I didn't like the image my brain conjured up. But as we entered his tent, nothing could have prepared me to look upon the man in the hat.

Erik had bought me.

 **The song is bits and pieces from the Prologue from** ** _Les Miserables._** **I do not own the song, nor Erik (although I sorely wish I could...), but I do own my character, Amirah, as she is the product of my overactive imagination. Again, I hope you enjoy this story.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Here is the second installment of** ** _Ties of the Heart_** **. I hope you enjoy it!**

Chapter 2

"Well, here she is. Just as I said." The master said with a smug smile. "Five, show some respect for your new master."

I kept my head down as I did an awkward curtsy. Apparently, this didn't please the master. "Surely you can do better than that." He said as he kicked me down to the ground, rocks and broken liquor bottles cutting into my hands. He laughed as he pushed my head down.

Then the pressure of his hand on my head suddenly dissipated. I looked up to see Erik holding him by the wrist. "I would prefer you to not lay hands on my property, as she is mine now."

I marveled at his voice. Deep, smooth, almost angelic. Definitely not the voice I last heard from him. But his tone was menacing. It shook me to the core.

It had the same effect on my former master as well as he started trembling. "Y-yes monsieur, my deepest apologies." He quickly moved away. "Now, as we discussed, my payment..." He trailed off, holding out his hand greedily.

Erik sighed as he pulled a pouch out of a pocket in his cape. "The full amount we discussed." He stated as he tossed it carelessly to the other man. As he went to open the pouch, Erik exclaimed forcefully "I assure you, it is the money I owe you for this girl."

He nodded quickly. "Yes monsieur, I apologize for being hasty. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Erik gently took my arm and helped me up, surprising both me and my former master. "No, thank you. We shall be taking our leave now." And with that, we strode out of the tent.

I looked around me, not used to this part of the camp. None of us were allowed in this part unless we were sold and on our way to our new places of torment. It looked as I had imagined it: just as shabby and dirty as the rest of the camp.

Erik led me towards the exit where a carriage was waiting for us. I had no idea what my new life would be like. I didn't think Erik even recognized me. After all, he did refer to me as 'his property'. The Erik I knew would not have done that. He knew how much I despised the concept of being 'owned'.

But all thoughts ceased when he whispered in my ear. "We're almost there, princess."

I gasped. He really did remember me. He was the only one who called me that.

We approached the carriage just as a commotion broke out behind us. There was yelling, but I couldn't understand what was being said. I tried to look back to see what was going on, but Erik turned my head straight. "Best not to look."

He opened the door to the carriage and helped me in, climbing in after me. As we went off, I looked out the window at the fast-disappearing gypsy camp, never to see it again.

As soon as my former prison was out of sight, I turned to Erik, finding he was already looking at me. He had taken his hat off to reveal a strange white mask. We stared at each other in awkward silence for a few moments before I looked down at my hands. I gasped; they were bloody from my fall back in the tent. I knew I was bleeding, but not this bad.

Erik looked at my hands as well and immediately dove into action, grabbing some brandy from under his seat and his scarf from around his neck, tearing it in two. He positioned the bottle over my hands. "This is going to hurt a bit." Then he poured the brandy on my hands.

I hissed in pain; he wasn't lying. He muttered a quick apology as he started to wrap the scarf halves around my hands.

"It's alright," I replied. "I've hurt worse."

As he finished, we sat in another awkward silence. After not seeing each other in years, you would think that we would talk more. Thinking of nothing else better to do, I looked out the window of the carriage to see what sights we were passing by.

My eyes widened. There were buildings galore! I had never seen so many in my life. There were tall ones, short ones, fat ones, skinny ones, ones who desperately needed cleaning. Then I saw it.

The Opera Populaire, burned halfway to the ground.

I had heard the newcomers, as well as spectators, whisper to each other about the great disaster, and how a man known only as the Phantom of the Opera had caused it in a failed attempt to woo the diva, Christine Daae. I didn't know how much of it was true, but I did know one thing: any man who would go through all of that for the love of a woman was a lonely man and needed love.

I saw Erik shift in his seat uncomfortably as we passed the ruined opera house. I wondered if he was there that night, witnessing the whole thing. I decided not to ask, though.

"So, by the way he treated you back there, I can see that the old bag of bones is still as mean as ever?" he suddenly asked me.

I snorted. "You have no idea."


	3. Chapter 3

**Here is the third installment of** ** _Ties of the Heart._** **I will go ahead and say that I don't know when the next chapter will be updated. Life is too crazy right now, so I may not get to update for a while. Apologies in advance :( but I hope you enjoy this one**

Chapter 3

The carriage pulled up to a mansion that I had absolutely no clue how Erik could afford. What the heck did he do to get this much money? Start his own show?

We exited the carriage - well, more like he got out of the carriage while carrying me - and went into the house. "I think I can walk myself, monsieur." I claimed.

Erik cut his eyes towards me and shook his head. "I've got you." was all he said. I rolled my eyes and sighed. _Still as stubborn as ever, I see..._

As soon as we went through the door, my breath was lost. It was absolutely beautiful! I wold have never dreamed of being in the presence of such nice things.

"I can set up a guest room for you." Erik said suddenly. "It may take me little while, though. I wasn't really expecting a guest."

"Take your time. I obviously wasn't expecting this, either." I commented, trying to make light of the situation.

A sudden rush of breath escaped him in a huff of soundless laughter as he set me down on a couch in the middle of the room, taking a seat on the couch opposite from mine. More silence ensued - I was getting tired of all the silence - as we would look at each other then elsewhere as if we weren't supposed to lay eyes on one another. Finally, we both seemed to have the right idea as we began to talk at the same time.

"So, how have you-?"

"How did you know-?"

We both stopped and chuckled. "You first." I said.

"No, ladies first." Erik conceded.

"How did you know it was me? It's not like I have the body or face of a child as I did the last time we..." I trailed off.

He sighed. "How could I not know it was you? You were the only one who would ever stand up to that man."

"But it's not like...never mind. I've asked my question. Now it's your turn."

He hesitated, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. "How have you been? I mean, other than the obvious..." He uttered, referencing my hands.

I looked down at them in deep thought. I couldn't tell him about most of the things that had went on since after he left. I knew he had a temper - I had witnessed it a couple times when we were children. Whenever the master would beat me, he would always go on a rampage and speak of how one day he would kill him. If he had thought that then and all I got was a little thrashing for not performing well, what would he do if he found out about...

"As well as one could be, I suppose." I finally said. "I made it out better than some of the others." _Lie..._

He nodded, still tense. "So he never..."

"No." _Lie...well, partial lie..._

"Good, or else I would have to go back there and kill him myself." My eyes bulged is shock. He didn't really mean that...did he? I didn't get a chance to ask as he stood up. "You look famished. I'll get us something to eat."

"You don't have to. I can get-" As I braced my hands against the couch to get up, the pain reminded me that I could barely move my hands to do anything.

At my cry of pain, Erik ran to me and unraveled the makeshift bandages to find the cuts were bleeding again. "Hold on, I'll be back with proper bandages." He said as he left the room. He returned seconds later with white bandages in his hands. He silently set to work, gently wrapping the material around my hands. "Amirah, I did not rescue you from that hellhole so you can keep acting like a slave." He finally said. "You don't have to do anything anymore, especially now with your hands how they are. Please, let me do something for you."

Realization slowly dawned on me as realized that I was no longer a captive. I was free. There was no longer the fear of punishment if I did something wrong. No longer was I under merciless rule. The sudden realization brought tears of joy to my eyes.

Of course Erik, ever the protective one, was instantly concerned. "What's wrong? Are you hurting again?"

I couldn't speak for fear I would start bawling, so I shook my head. A smile spread on my face as I threw my arms around his neck. I felt him stiffen and his arms went out to his sides like he didn't know what to do. I could sense his awkwardness, so I pulled away from him. "I'm sorry. I didn't - I mean, I just...I'm free. I'm finally free..."


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the delay of updates. My computer screwed up and I lost, like, the half of the chapter that I had already written and it took me forever to try and remember what I wrote. But, thankfully, I got it back (writer's block, begone with thyself!) and I am working on my (also lost) chapter of** ** _A Twist in Time_** **. So be looking for an update on that one soon, as well. Like I said in said other story, I will catch up with my shoutouts at a later time. Hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 4

The next two weeks consisted of Erik treating me as if I were glass. I never thought I would be treated like this, least of all by him. I couldn't understand why he was so gentle with me. He knew I was tougher than most and I could handle myself, but I wasn't complaining by any means.

My hands had been healing nicely. I knew I would have scars, but it didn't matter. The only one who would see them would be Erik, and I knew he would never judge me for them. He would never be that cruel, especially after the world was so cruel to him while he was in the gypsy camp. It seemed like he made a life for himself after he got out of there. I was dying to ask him what all had happened in his life after he left, but a haunted look that constantly remained in his eyes made me refrain. Perhaps life wasn't as kind to him as I had thought...

One night, after dinner, he led me to the living room and sat me down on one of the couches. He then went over to a shelf and opened a case, pulling out the most exquisite violin I had ever seen. One of the men at the camp would play an old raggedy one around the campfire at night. I only got to see glimpses of it since I was never allowed to sit at the fire, but the sound was beautiful.

"Where on earth did you find such a beautiful instrument?" I asked him.

He smirked and said nothing, his only reply being the opening notes of a very familiar tune. One I hadn't heard in a very long while. He played the melody twice before I began to sing for the first time since I left the gypsy camp.

 _"Yo, ho, haul together,_

 _hoist the colors high,_

 _Heave ho,_

 _thieves and beggars,_

 _never shall we die!_

 _The king and his men,_

 _stole the queen from her bed,_

 _and bound her in her Bones,_

 _The seas be ours,_

 _and by the powers,_

 _where we will we'll roam!_

 _Yo, ho, haul together,_

 _hoist the colors high,_

 _Heave ho, thieves and beggars,_

 _never shall we die!_

 _Some men have died,_

 _and some are alive,_

 _and others sail on the sea,_

 _– with the keys to the cage,_

 _and the Devil to pay,_

 _we lay to Fiddler's Green!_

 _The bell has been raised,_

 _from it's watery grave,_

 _Do you hear it's sepulchral tone,_

 _We are a call to all,_

 _pay head the squall,_

 _and turn your sail toward home!_

 _Yo, ho, haul together,_

 _hoist the colors high,_

 _Heave ho, thieves and beggars,_

 _never shall we die..."_

Erik lowered the violin, setting it down on the couch beside me and kneeling before me. "I never would have thought that you would remember that song." he said quietly.

I shrugged. "It was the only thing of you I had left after you..."

He sighed and hung his head. "Amirah, I planned on getting you out of there somehow, someway, way before now. But with the way that I was - am," He gestured to his face. "I knew there was no way I could support both of us. I came back as soon as I possibly could after I escaped to see what I could do, to see if there was even the slightest possibility I could get you out. But I couldn't get you out of there safely. I am so sorry it took so long for me to finally save you from that place!" He exclaimed as he embraced me tightly.

I hugged him just as tightly. "I knew there would be a good reason for you not to come back for me. I never held it against you, though. True, it was very lonely, but I knew I would always have you with me in some form. That form just happened to be that song."

"I remember when we used to sing it to each other when one of us would have a nightmare. How is it that such a song would be so calming?" He asked.

"I don't know." I replied. "Where did we even learn that song, anyways? It's been so long...all I can remember is us singing it to each other."

"The man that would play at the campfire. He would always sing it. We learned it from him, I believe."

I nodded. That would make a lot of sense. Our rooms - I say rooms, I mean cages - were right beside where the camp would always make the fire: right in the heart of the camp.

Sometimes I wondered what it would be like if we had lived normal lives, never being with the gypsies. Would we be as we are now or would we somehow be different? Would Erik and I have ever met? I knew I would never find the answers to my questions, but even then, I still couldn't help but wonder...would we be as broken as we are now, with only us to help heal one another? Would it always be this way: just the two of us?

Something told me that, somehow, my last question would have a deeper meaning than the others, and I wasn't really ready to find out...

 **The song in this chapter is** ** _Hoist the Colors_** **from "Pirates of the Caribbean", written by Hans Zimmer. God bless that man...as well as James Newton Howard...and, while I'm on a roll, Lin-Manuel Miranda! How many of you have heard of** ** _Hamilton_** **? O...M...G...addiction city! Anyways, better sign off. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review!**


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